There are voices that simply resonate with the animated characters they give life to, and Mark Hamill‘s portfolio of voicing The Joker across several Batman projects, notably the Batman: The Animated Series, is one of those. The actor has, however, revealed to fans during an appearance at Fan Expo San Francisco, that he would not be returning to voice the iconic role.The actor also shared his reason for stepping away from the role.

Just about a year ago, Hamill’s long-time partner, Kevin Conroy who voiced Bruce Wayne a.k.a Batman across several projects, sadly passed away. With Conroy’s passing, Hamill suggested he would not be returning to the role. In this latest appearance, the actor stands by those sentiments, making it clear that his days giving life to that iconic laugh are over. Per Culture Crave, Hamill during a Q&A at Fan EXPO says he “won’t voice the role unless it’s opposite Kevin Conroy’s Batman.” The actor is also said to have cited the Joker quote, “Without Batman, crime has no punchline.”

Conroy, who passed away at the age off 66, is widely regarded as the definitive representation of The Caped Crusader for most. The actor’s exploits with the character involved working on projects that included Batman Beyond, Justice League, and Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. His last job bringing the character to life came in 2019’s Justice League vs. the Fatal Five. News of his exit triggered an outpouring of tributes, including one from Hamill which read: “Kevin was perfection. He was one of my favorite people on the planet, and I loved him like a brother. He truly cared for the people around him – his decency shone through everything he did. Every time I saw him or spoke with him, my spirits were elevated.”

Mark Hamill Leaves Another Iconic Role Left Behind

It is widely accepted that Hamill and Conroy are among the best iterations of The Joker and Batman, respectively. As such, Hamill stepping away from the character is significant. Interestingly, Hamill also recently decided to step back from yet another iconic role – Luke Skywalker. Hamill stepped into the role over four decades ago in the original Star Wars film. However, earlier this year he revealed that his race was run. “Well, you never say never, but I just don’t see any reason to,” Hamill said about reprising his role as Luke Skywalker. “Let me put it that way: I mean, they have so many stories to tell, they don’t need Luke anymore. I had my time, and that’s good. But that’s enough.”

Hamill has kept busy with other projects, he has recently wrapped filming on Mike Flanagan‘s latest Stephen King adaptation, The Life of Chuck. Stay tuned to Collider for updates.